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NM: New Mexico lawmakers debate bills on special education, student restraint
Santa Fe New Mexican New Mexico lawmakers are taking another pass at two measures that have stalled in previous years but that, supporters say, are critical to protecting vulnerable children and fixing the state’s special education system. Senate Bill 64...
TX: Austin ISD Exits State Oversight of Special Education Services
Austin Today After three years of state oversight, Austin Independent School District has regained control of its special education services. The Texas Education Agency had stepped in after an investigation revealed non-compliance with state mandates and a backlog of...
COPAA Files Amicus Brief in Second Circuit Court Regarding the Right of FAPE
Last week, COPAA filed an amicus brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in A.H., V.B. and N.B. v. New York City Department of Education. The brief urges the court to reverse the decision of the United States District Court for the...
COPAA Files Amicus Brief in Second Circuit Court Regarding the Right of Prevailing Parents To Recover Attorney’s Fees in Federal Court
Last week, COPAA filed an amicus brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in The Law Office of Philippe J. Gerschel v. New York City Department of Education. The brief urges the court to reverse the decision of the United States District...
March 5-National Call-In Day: Tell Congress: Protect Children with Disabilities, Oppose Moving IDEA out of ED
COPAA is joining advocacy groups across the country on March 5 for a National Call-In Day to oppose moving oversight and administration of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) from the U.S....
DOJ Tells St. Louis Special School District that Seclusion and Restraint Practices Violate Federal Law
This week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it has notified the Special School District of St. Louis, Missouri (District) that the District’s seclusion and restraint practices violate Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The District is...
ED Proposes Transfer of Education Safety and Foreign Aid Programs to Other Agencies
Monday, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced two new interagency agreements (IAAs) that will transfer foreign gift and contract reporting for certain domestic public and private institutions of higher education (IHEs) to the U.S. Department of State...
Ed Department Dismissed 90% Of Civil Rights Complaints Alarming Disability Advocates
Disability Scoop The U.S. Department of Education dismissed the vast majority of discrimination complaints it received — likely including many based on disability — all while spending millions in an effort to fire staff charged with investigating such cases....
How special educators can help students when ICE comes to town
K-12 Dive Faced with students staying home or switching to online learning because of immigration enforcement activity, special educators are working to continue individualized services for students with disabilities who are suddenly out of the school building. “When...
Therizinosaurus
The Dinosaur That Broke All the Rules (And Had the Claws to Prove It) Fun fact: the longest claws of any land animal that has ever existed on this planet belonged to a dinosaur that ate plants. One meter long. That's over three feet. Each claw. And it used...